War in space

--- In spacesettlers@yahoogroups.com, Matt Gallimore
wrote:
>
> levi1_ca wrote:
> Perhaps there is less reason for war in space - ... there is no
resource advantage Why is there is less reason for war in space?
>
> If habitats become independent from earth, they must survive on
their own. That doesn't automatically lead to a happy brotherhood of
habitats.
>
> When you think about it, there would be the same logic of war. On
earth wars could be political, religious or real estate claims,
though a common reason was "resources". In space, there could be many
resource conflicts. Just because space is a large doesn't mean there
is practical access to needed resources.
>
> Suppose there are some very critical, specialized components that
one habitat cannot manufacture and another refuses to trade. This
conflict could also lead to warfare.
>
> In another hypothetical situation what if an automated mining
camp gets hacked and the supplies go to another destination? (The
desire to steal doesn't stop just because people leave earth.) The
pirate habitat might have few tradable goods, limited manufacturing
capability, or not been able to successfully operate its own resource
bases.
>
> If you have people, you have conflicts. In space there may be
many resources, but we carbon and water-based organisms need a
special environment just to live. In a harsh environment that
requires adequate usable manufactured goods to keep our habitat
viable. Raw resources may or may not be the contraint per se.
Manufactured ones could be.
>

Have to agree. As long as people breath, there will always be reasons
for conflicts.

Another Scenerio is they might fight over a passing comet. Water is
not plentiful in space.

One scenerio not mentioned is Earth may decide to rule her colonies
much as the European governments tried to rule the new world. Seeing
them as revenue sources for their social spending programs. And some
might even decide to dictate to 'their' colonies how they are to
govern themselves.